Cairo: Saudi Arabia has launched in Cote d’Ivoire a project offering Hajj-related facilities for Muslims from specific countries heading to the kingdom to perform Islamic pilgrimage later this month.
The “Mecca Route” Initiative was launched Saturday at the Abidjan airport in presence of Saudi and Ivorian officials for pilgrims departing to Saudi Arabia.
The first group of pilgrims flying from Cote d’Ivoire later Saturday arrived at the Prince Mohammed bin Abdulaziz airport in the holy city of Medina.
In 2018, the Saudi Interior Ministry relaunched the “Mecca Route” Initiative that gives pilgrims from several countries access to facilities including finalising Hajj-related procedures in their home countries.
The initiative kicked off on a trial basis in 2017.
The “Mecca Route” applies this year to pilgrims from seven countries, namely, Malaysia, Indonesia, Pakistan, Morocco, Bangladesh, Turkey and Cote d’Ivoire.
Pilgrims from the seven countries have already landed in Saudi Arabia.
According to this project, facilities offered to pilgrims include issuance of electronic visas at home, finalising passport procedures as well as tagging and sorting out luggage at the departure airports.
On arrival in Saudi Arabia, those pilgrims head directly to their residences in the holy cities of Mecca and Medina while their luggage are delivered right to their residences.
Saudi Arabia has said there will be no limits on the numbers of pilgrims from around the world for the coming Hajj season, reversing earlier restrictions prompted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
